Parts of a Suit of Armor Medieval Sword Suit of Armor Close-Up: The Medieval Harness The battle-ready medieval knight was attired in a suit of armor referred to as a "body harness." A common construction technique utilized "lames" or strips of metal which overlapped, somewhat like the shingles on a roof. These laminations were often used in the collar, shoulder, and abdominal areas to facilitate movement. Underneath the suit of armor a cushioning gambeson may have been worn, a quilted jacket stuffed with tow (short flax fibers), wool, grass, or horse hair. Some of the basic elements of the plate harness are illustrated below: Parts of a Suit of Armor Head and Shoulder Armor Comb — An extension from front to back across the top of the helmet which helps strengthen the helm’s structure. During the Renaissance period this helmet component could be very large and ornate. Helm — Vest-like shoulder armor which added some protection over the breastplate and across the upper back. Torso Armor — As its name implies, this plate protected the upper chest area. Plackart — An armored reinforcement covering the lower half of the breastplate. Depending upon the design, the plackart might cover nearly the entire breastplate.

Fauld — Armor, usually composed of lames, which attached to the breastplat> (and plackart), serving to protect the abdomen. Tasset (TAS-et) — Solid Armor plates or a skirt of lames hung from the fauld to cover the gap between the fauld and the thigh armor. Arm and Leg Armor Rerebrace (REER-brase) — Armor shielding of the upper arm. The rerebrace is also referred to as the upper cannon. Couter Armor Glossary Armor Glossary July 27, 2013, 12:27 am 2.5k Views A Ailette A flat plate of leather or parchment which tied to the point of the shoulder. Worn between 1250-1350 to display the owner’s coat of arms. Aketon A padded and quilted garment, usually of linen, worn under or instead of plate or mail. Almain Rivet A munition-grade half-armor imported from Germany in the early 16th Century. Anime Splinted armor of overlapped horizontal plates for the torso.

Armet Originating in the fifteenth century, a helmet of Italian origin consisting a skull, two hinged cheek pieces which lock at the front, and a visor. Arming doublet Quilted garment worn under armor from the early fifteenth century, equipped with points to attach mail gussets and pieces of armor. See also arming points. Arming points Ties (usually of flax or twine) by which armor was secured in place to the arming doublet. See also arming doublet. Aventail A curtain of mail attached by means of vervelles around the base of a helmet (typically the bascinet), protecting the neck and covering the shoulders. See also bascinet, vervelles. B Piece of plate armor protecting the back half of the torso. Banded Maille A largely discounted Victorian concept of maille with leather “bands” woven through it. The origin of the term seems to stem from misinterpretations of artistic shortcuts in representing maille armor in illustrations and effigies. See also maille. Barbote A high bevor with a falling lame containing eyeslits; used in Spain. See also bevor. Barbute Also called barbut, barbuta.

An open-faced, usually shoulder-length Italian helmet, made in one piece, with a T-shaped face opening. Barbuta is the Italian term. A Bard A full horse armor, which could include a crinet, crupper, flanchard, peytral, shaffron. Bascinet, Basinet An open-faced helmet with a globular or conical skull enclosing the sides of the face and neck. Usually worn with and aventail, and occasionally a visor. See also aventail, hunskull, visor. Bellows Visor A modern term for a visor with horizontal ridges, such as on ‘Maximilian’ German fluted armors of the early sixteenth century. Besagew Defensive circular plate suspended over the wearer’s armpit. Bevor Also called bavier or buffe. A chin-shaped defense for the lower face, incorporating a gorget plate. The buffe was an early sixteenth century variant, worn strapped to an open-faced helmet such as the burgonet. Birnie Also called byrnie. A mail shirt. See also hauberk.

Bishop’s Mantle Modern term for the cape of mail worn (largely in Germany) in the early sixteenth century. Blueing An oxidized blue surface on plate armor, produced through heat treatment. Bouche The notch cut in the top (dexter) corner of a shield, to rest the lance when jousting. Bracer Early fourteenth century form of defence for the lower arm; also a term for an archer’s arm guard to protect the forearm from the bowstring. Breast Plate Piece of armor that protects the front of the torso. Breaths Holes or slits in the visor of a helmet or the lames of a falling buff or bevor, for ventilation; also usually permitting a degree of extra vision. Brigandine A flexible body defence consisting of a large number of metal plates riveted inside a cloth covering. Buckler Small round shield carried by infantry. Buffe see bevor and falling buffe. Burgonet A light, open-faced helmet popular in the sixteenth century as an alternative to the close-helmet for light cavalry. It was usually furnished with a peak over the brow, a combed skull, and hinged ear pieces.

The face opening could be closed with the addition of a falling buffe. Byrnie C Cabacete A type of Spanish war hat (popular thoughout fifteenth century Europe) with a turned-down brim and an almond-shaped skull ending in a stalk. See also morion. Cabasset see aventail. Cannon Individual plate armor defence, of tubular form, for the upper and lower arm. See also vambrace and rerebrace. Case-hardening A method (described in the twelth century treatise ‘De Diversis Atibus’ by Theophilus the Monk) for surface hardening wrought iron(or low carbon steel) by packing it in charcoal or other organic material and heating it for hours above 900 degrees Celsius. Casque, casquetal A light open helmet; usually late fifteeth to mid-sixteenth century helmets of ‘antique’ form, such as Italian parade ‘casques’ of the mid-sixteenth century, embossed with grotesques or fashioned in the classical style. These were often similiar in shape to the burgonet. Celata Open-faced Italian sallet, common in the fifteenth century. Cervelliere Steel skull cap, typically worn under a great helm.

Chapel de Fer Also called a kettle hat. A simple open-faced helmet with a wide brim. Chainmail Erroneous Victorian era term for maille armor. See also Maille. Charnel The hinged staple or bolt that secured the fourteenth century helm or great basinet to the breast and backplate. Chausses Mail protection for the legs, either in the form of mail hose or strips of mail laced round the front of the leg. Close-helmet Helmet which, with a full visor and bevor, completely encloses the head and face; modern use of the term tends to refer not to helmets with hinged cheek-pieces opening at the front (the armet) but visored helmets pivoting open on bolts or rivets each side of the skull. Contemporary usage, however, makes no such distinction. Coat armor A quilted garment worn over armor in the fourteenth century. Coat of fence Also called fence, jack, or brigandine. A doublet or tunic lined with small metal plates or, more rarely, just padded with stuffing of tow. See also brigandine and jack. Coat of plates Also called a pair of plates or simply plates.

A cloth garment with a number of large plates riveted inside, worn in the fourteenth century. Cod-piece Fabric covering for the groin, latterly padded. Its counter part in armor could be either mail or, more usually, plate. Coif A hood, usually of mail; by the twelfth century it often incorporated a ventail which could be pulled across the lower part of the face. Collar see gorget. Comb The keel-shaped ridge, often very pronounced, that passes from front to back of a helmet over the skull, conferring extra strength and rigidity and contributing to its glancing surfaces. In the mid-sixteenth century, the combs of morion helmets were raised and enloarged to an excessive height for ‘fashionable’ reasons. Corslet Also spelled corselet. A light half-armor popular in the sixteenth century for general military use (for example, town guards). It consisted of a gorget, breast, back and tassets, full arms and gauntlets; the term can also be applied to the cuirass only. Couter Also spelled cowter. Plate defence for the elbow. Crinet Defence for a horse’s neck.

See also bard, crupper, flanchard, peytral, shaffron. Crupper Defence for a horse’s rump. See also bard, crinet, flanchard, peytral, shaffron. Crest A heraldric recognitive device fixed to the top of the great helm, introduced in the second half of the thirteenth and in wide use by the fourteenth century. Cuirass Also called pair of curates. A backplate and breastplate designed to be worn together. Cuir Bouilli Leather hardened by immersion in boiled water or wax, and then dried over a form. Earlier armors meant to supplement maille defenses were made of such leather and the medium was a popular one for tooling and embossing. Cuirie A 13th Century torso defense, originally made of leather. Cuisses, Cuishes A defense for the rump, comprised of overlapping lames. D Damascening A metalworking process for the inlaying of decorative metals, such as gold and silver, into other metallic surfaces. E A gauntlet whose cuff reaches the elbow, obviating both vambrace and couter. Espalier See Spaulder.

Etching A metalworking process for applied for decorative purposes to the surface of armor plates. Often used in conjunction with blueing, gilding, etc. Exchange Pieces Supplementary armor pieces which could be added to, or exchanged with, those comprising a harness in order to customize said harness for particular applications, ie. jousting, fighting at the barrier, etc. F Falling Buffe 16th Century armor for the throat and lower face. It evolved from the bevor and was comprised of several lames, retained in place by spring catchs, which could be lowered for better ventilation and vision. Fan Plate Projection from an elbow or knee cop designed to prevent a blow from wrapping around and landing in the joint. Fauld armor, usually composed of horizontal lames, attached to the bottom edge of a breastplate to protect the abdomen. Flanchard A plate attaching to the base of a saddle, protecting the flanks of a horse. This closed the gap between the crupper and the peytral. See also bard, crinet, crupper, peytral, shaffron. G Gadlings Protruding studs, sometimes of zoomorphic form, on the finger and knuckle joints of a gauntlet.

Particulary popular late in the 14th Century on fingered gauntlets. Gambeson A quilted doublet of cloth, stuffed with tow, wool, or other materials. They appear to have been worn over maille armors, under them, and instead of them at times. There is confusion and ongoing debate over the exact meanings of this word and the related term aketon. Gamboised Cuisses Padded, quilted thigh defenses of the late 13th and early 14th Centuries. Gardbrace Reinforcing plate shaped to fit over and augment the pauldron on Italian 15th Century armors. These were attached to the pauldron by means of a staple and pin. Garniture A complete plate armor that also features many exchange pieces; 16th Century. Gauntlet armor for the hand, initially of maille, later a plate defense. Gilding Plating with a thin layer of gold. Gorget Piece of armor protecting the throat. May be a simple collar or a more elaborate design composed of several pieces.

Gothic German armor of the late 15th Century, characterized by a slim angular line, cusping, fluting, and fan-shaped designs. Grand Guard A reinforcing piece of armor, attached to the left side of the breastplate and covering the left shoulder, upper arm, left side of the breastplate, and left side of the visor. Designed for use in the tilt. Great Helm See Helm. Greave Also called earlier a jamber or schynbald. A defense for the lower leg, originally only defending the shin, but later including a hinged ‘door’ to defend the calf. Greenwich armor English armor produced at the royal workshops established by Henry VIII in the early 16th Century. Guard chains Chains which affixed the sword, dagger, and helm to the breastplate, to prevent them from being lost in battle. These seem to be popular only in the 14th Century. Guige Strap attached to the back side of a shield by which it could be slung about the bearer’s neck.

Gusset A 15th Century piece of maille, sewn or pointed to the arming doublet, used to cover the armpit and portions of the arm left exposed by the plate armor. Also, a 16th Century laminated defense for the armpit of a breastplate. H A short type of hauberk. The terms are often used indiscriminately. Hauberk A mail shirt reaching to somewhere between the knee and hip and including sleeves. Sometimes , the term refers to similarly shaped garments made with scale. Haute-piece Upstanding neck guard attached to the pauldron. Heater shield A form of knightly shield which appeared in the 13th Century, shaped like the bottom of a flat iron. Heaume See helm. Helm, Great Helm An all-enveloping helmet which enclosed the entire head and face, reaching almost to the shoulders. Originally cylindrical in form. Arising in the early 13th Century, by the late 14th it was primarly restricted to the joust.

Hunskull An English corruption of the German hundsgugel (dog head), a nickname for a pointed visor found on bascinets of the late 14th and early 15th Centuries. I J Jack A defensive jacket or doublet either of linen stuffed with tow, or lined with small metal plates. Jamb Also called jamber, jambart, or jambiere. An early medieval term for leg armor (schynbald). See also greave. Jupon A padded garment worn over the armor, fitted in the torso, c.1350-1410. Alternately, a tightly fitted and usually sleeveless garment worn over the armor and displaying the wearer’s arms. K Kastenbrust A modern term describing a type of angular breastplate popular in Germany between 1420 and 1450. Kettle hat An open-faced helmet consisting of a bowl and a broad brim, resembling the British ‘tin hats’ of World War I. Also called a ‘Chapel de Fer’. Kite-shaped shield A large, elongated triangular shield with a rounded top used throughout Europe from the 10th to the 13th Century.

It is commonly associated with the Normans. Klappvisier A modern term for a globular visor worn in Germany in the 14th Century on bascinets. It was hinged at the front of the skull of the helmet and covered only the area unprotected by the aventail. L A narrow strip or plate of steel, sometimes used in armor to provide articulation. Lamellar armor armor consisting of small plates laced together to give a rigid defense. Of Near Eastern origin, it was used throughout the Middle Ages in Eastern Europe, but was not common in the West. Lance rest A support for the lance when couched; it was bolted to the right side of the breastplate and was often hinged. Latten Copper alloy of varying formulation. Modern brass and bronze would be considered latten in the Middle Ages. Latten was often used in the decoration of arms and armor. M Mail, Maille A flexible defense of interlinked and riveted rings of metal; its origin appears to be Celtic. In most European cases, each link passes through four others and the garment is shaped through the addition or subtraction of rings in appropriate places.

Manifer A plate defense for the lower part of the left arm and hand, usually constructed in one piece and designed for the joust. ‘Maximillian’ armor A modern term applied to a style of early 16th Century armor characterized by narrow, parallel fluting. It was popular during the reign of Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian I (1494-1519) and until the middle of the century. Mitten gauntlet A gauntlet with articulated transverse lames covering the fingers, rather than the fingers each being separately protected by a series of articulated plates. Morion A 16th Century development of the kettle hat, widely used by infantry and consisting of a skull with a broad brim, flat or turned down at the sides, but which sweeps upward into a peak at the front and rear. There are two main types: the so-called Spanish Morion, or Cabasset, which has an almond-shaped skull ending with a stalk-like projection, clearly derived from the Cabacete, and the Comb Morion, which has a high central comb along the apex of the skull. Hated above all other helmets by Arador’s webmaster.

Muffler A mitten-like extension to the sleeve of a hauberk with a hole at the wrist that allowed the wearer to remove his hand. ‘Munition armor’ Mass-produced, cheaply made armor for the common soldiery, produced in very large quantities at the beginning of the 16th Century. See also Almain rivet. Munnions Articulated lames, often attached to the gorget, protecting the shoulders and upper arms. N Nasal Plate defense on early medieval helmets, often riveted to the bottom of the skull to cover the nose and middle of the face. Niello A decorative black inlay used to best effect on a surface of silver or gold. A compound of sulphur combined with silver, lead, and a small quantity of copper, it is fixed in place by heat. O The eyeslits in a helmet. P A plate reinforcement for the left elbow of armor for the joust. Pauldron Piece of armor covering the shoulder. Usually large, covering the upper 1/3 of the torso. Pavise Large, usually rectangular shield carried by infantrymen and frequently used in siege work to protect archers and crossbowmen.

The largest were equipped with a prop to support them. Peytral Horse armor designed to protect the horse’s chest. See also bard, crinet, crupper, flanchard, shaffron. Pieces of Exchange See Exchange pieces. Pigface An erroneous modern term for referring to the visor on a hunskull visored bascinet. See also hunskull, bascinet. Plackart A plate reinforcement attached to the breastplate, which at first covered the lower half but latterly, especially on Italian armors, covered nearly the entire breastplate. Plate armor armor made of rigid iron or steel plates. Platemail An erroneous Victorian era term for referring to plate armor or plate and maille hybrids. See also plate armor, maille. Plates Reinforcement for the right arm on jousting armor. Poleyn A cup-shaped plate defense for the knee, usually equipped with a side wing of heart shape. Pomme A spherical decoration for a helmet, often gilded and worn instead of a crest in the 15th Century. Pot General term for a simple, common soldier’s helmet (usually of morion type, such as the ‘pikeman’s pot’).

Proof armor ‘of proof’ is made sufficiently thick or hard to resist a shot from bow or musket. The term first occurs in the texts of early medieval romances. ‘Puffed and slashed’ armor Embossed armor, often etched and gilt, resembling a style of dress popular in early 16th Century Germany; where ‘puffs’ of colored material were pulled through ‘slashes’ in the sleeves or body of the garment. Q Queue A shaped iron bar bolted to early 16th Century jousting armors to hold down and steady the rear of the lance, enabling it to be levelled and aimed more easily. R Rennhut A heavy, one-piece sallet designed for the Rennen, a type of German joust fought with sharp lances. Renntartsche A large shield of wood and leather reinforced with metal, covering the whole of the wearer’s body and bevor. It screwed to the breastplate and bevor. Designed for the German Rennen. Rerebrace Piece of armor covering the upper arm from the elbow to the shoulder. Rennzeug armor designed for the Rennen. Rump guard An oblong plate hung from the lower edge of the culet on 15th Century armors.

S Piece of armor covering the foot. Sometimes called a solleret. Saddle steel Protective steel plates for the front (bow) and back (cantle) of a war or joust saddle. Sallet A light helmet either fitted with a visor or open-faced, varying in form, having a tail to protect the neck. Known in England as a salade. Scale armor armor made of small, overlapping scales or plates sewn or laced to a cloth garment. Scalemail An erroneous Victorian era term for scale armor. See also scale armor. Schynbalds A plate defense for the lower leg which protected only the shin and was strapped over the chausses. See Greave. Shaffron Also called a chaffron, chanfron. Defense for a horse’s head. Forms covering only the upper part of the head became popular in the mid-16th Century (demi-shaffron). See also bard, crinet, crupper, flanchard, peytral. Sight The vision slit in a helmet or visor. Also called occularium. Skull The part of a helmet covering the top, back, and sides of the head above the ears.

It can also denote a simple metal cap. Solleret See Sabaton. Spangenhelm A modern term for conical helmets constructed of a number of segments riveted together; descended from Late Roman prototypes. ‘Spanish morion’ Piece of armor covering the shoulder joint. Not as large as a pauldron. Splint Light arm defenses used in the 15th and 16th Centuries, gutter-shaped and intended to protect only the outside of the arm, they were often found on cheap armors intended for infantry use and on certain types of German armor. See also Almain rivet. Standard A maille collar common in the 15th Century. Stechhelm A ‘frog-mouthed’ form of great helm, worn for the Gestech (a type of German tournament), bolted to the breastplate. Stechsack A thickly padded bumper for the horse’s chest, hung round its neck to protect the rider’s legs, worn for the German Gestech. Stechtartsche A small rectangular wooden shield for the Gestech, suspended by cords from the breastplate. Stechzeug armor designed for the Gestech.

Stop rib Small metal bar riveted to plate armor to stop the point of a weapon sliding into a joint or opening. Surcoat Flowing garment worn over armor form the 12th Century. Sometimes sleeved, sometimes sleeveless, it usually reached to mid-calf. Later, it was shortened and in the 14th Century developed into the jupon. T Tabard Short, open-sided garment with short sleeves used to display the wearer’s arms. Often worn by heralds. Target A small circular shield. Tasset A defense for the top of the thigh, hung from the fauld by straps to cover the gap between cuisses and breastplate. They first appear in the 15th Century. Tilting socket Large plate reinforcing cuisses which provided protection for the thighs and knees and hung from either side of the saddle. Also called a gard-cuisse. Tonlet Also called a base. A deep, hooped skirt of steel worn on foot combat armors in the late 15th and early 16th Centuries. Trapper An all-enveloping textile cover for a horse, reaching to the fetlocks and leaving only the eyes, ears, and nose uncovered. It often displayed the rider’s arms.

Turning-joint An enclosed circular joint above the elbow, enabling the arm to twist. A flange on the rim of the upper cannon of the vambrace rotates inside an embossed groove along the lower edge of the rerebrace. U Umbo A shield boss, usually in the centre of a shield, covering and protecting the hand as it holds the grip. V Piece of armor covering the lower arm from the wrist to the elbow. Ventail An integral flap of maille attached to the coif in the 13th Century; it could be drawn across the mouth to protect the lower face. Vervelles Staples attached to the base of a bascinet for the attachment of an aventail. See also bascinet, aventail. Visor Protection for the eyes and face; a plate defense pivoted to a helmet’s skull. W A modern term for a plate armor of plain, polished steel. Wrapper A reinforcing piece for an armet or other helmet which was strapped about the helmet and protected the lower half of the face. X Y Z And don’t forget to read our guide on how to make armor , it’s great for beginners. What does suit of armour mean?

definition, meaning and pronunciation (Free English Language Dictionary) Hypernyms ("suit of armour" is a kind of...): armor ; armour (protective covering made of metal and used in combat) Meronyms (parts of "suit of armour"): armet (a medieval helmet with a visor and a neck guard) knee piece (armor plate that protects the knee) nosepiece (armor plate that protects the nose) palette ; pallette (one of the rounded armor plates at the armpits of a suit of armor) rerebrace ; upper cannon (cannon that provides plate armor for the upper arm) roundel (round piece of armor plate that protects the armpit) skirt of tasses (armor plate that protects the body below the waist) sabaton ; solleret (armor plate that protects the foot; consists of mail with a solid toe and heel) tasse ; tasset (one of two pieces of armor plate hanging from the fauld to protect the upper thighs) tuille (armor plate that protects the hip and thigh) lower cannon ; vambrace (cannon of plate armor protecting the forearm) helmet (armor plate that protects the head) greave ; jambeau (armor plate that protects legs below the knee)

 gorget (armor plate that protects the neck) basinet (a medieval steel helmet) brassard (armor plate that protects the arm) aegis ; breastplate ; egis (armor plate that protects the chest; the front part of a cuirass) cannon ((Middle Ages) a cylindrical piece of armor plate to protect the arm) casque ((15-16th century) any armor for the head; usually ornate without a visor) cubitiere (body armor that protects the elbow) cuisse (armor plate that protects the thigh) epauliere (armor plate that protects the shoulder) fauld (a piece of armor plate below the breastplate) gantlet ; gauntlet ; metal glove (a glove of armored leather; protects the hand) gusset ; voider (a piece of chain mail covering a place unprotected by armor plate) Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "suit of armour"): bulletproof vest (a vest capable of resisting the impact of a bullet) armour Aillettes 9 Small rectangular plates (apparently of cuir bouilli) which were attached to the shoulders to protect the shoulder and neck.

Aketon 10-12 or 13 Padded cloth body armour, worn underneath (or occasionally over) heavier armour to absorb impact. Heavier versions were often worn by less well equipped troops or in hot weather as comfortable light armour. Sleeveless Armet Close-fitting, full helmet, with (normally) a heavy visor and narrow slits for vision Arming Cap 3 Quilted cap - usually of cloth occasionally of leather. Normally worn under a helm. but often worn as protection in its own right Aspercote 8-12, or from 3-15 Body armour, sometimes of splint, but normally mail. Usually covered torso and upper arms - could have a coif,full sleeves with built-in "mittens" and fall below the knee. (Also known as Ausperg, Hauberk, Hauberg etc) Aventail 5 Guard attached to a helmet which offers some protection to the neck. Normally of mail but could be of articulated plates Backplate Covers the back of the torso.

Barbet Elegant one-piece helmet with a single T-shaped opening for both vision and ventilation Barrel Helm 3-5 Heavy cylindrical metal helm that enclosed the whole head and rested on the shoulders. Heavy and hot! Bascinet 3-5 Small close fitting helm that left the face free, with a detachable visor. Ifthe visor is removed (as it often was) location 5 is not protected. Bevor Effectively a very heavy gorget, designed to be worn under a sallet Breech Mail flap that covered the groin. Breastplate Covers the front of the torso. Brigandine 10-11, or 9-11 Armour made by rivetting small metal plates between two sheets of heavy clot or thin leather. Burgonet 3-4 Light helm, leaving the lower face free for ventilation. Sometimes combined with aventail or bevor to cover location 5 Byrnie 10-11, or up to 9-12 A chain mail vest - normally covering just the torso, but sometimes longer. Camail Chainmail guard attached to a helmet, which offers some protection to the neck.

Casque 3-5 Heavy cylindrical metal helm that enclosed the whole head and rested on the shoulders. Heavy and hot! Cerveille Simple iron cap, normally worn under a mail coif, but occasionally on top of it. Chapeau-de-Fer 3-4 A large round metal "hat", which left plenty of ventilation, but also decreased protection. The broad rim did give some extra protection Chausses Leg armour, normally of mail, but occassionally of reinforced cuir boulli. Coat-of-Plates 10-11, or up to 9-12 Armour made by rivetting small metal plates between two sheets of heavy clot or thin leather. Coif Armoured hood protecting thehead and neck. Normally of mail. but sometimes leather or even splint. Cops 7 or 15 Armour for the joints, these were called either knee-cops or elbow-cops Normally of metal, but sometimes of cuir boulli. Coude Armour for the elbows (part of a harness) Cuirass Large breast and backplate, covering the torso. Curie Breastplate and thighguards made of cuir boulli (hence the name) sometimes reinforced with metal.

Cuir Boulli Leather armour, made surprisingly strong by repeated boiling (normally in oil). Cuisses Armour for the thighs. Normally metal but sometimes of cuir boulli, or even quilted armour. Epauler Fauld 12 Stomach protection. In early (transitional) plate this was seperate piece, in later armours it was incorporated into the breastplate (in function, if not name). Gambeson Varies from 10-12 to 3-4, 7-14 A padded and quilted body armour. Unlike the aketon, the gambeson generally had sleeves, and could even have built in mittens. Gauntlets 6 Armour for the hand - could be of any material, I've even seen cuir boulli and quilted hand armour. Genouillerie Metal protection for the knees (part of a harness). Gorget 5 Prtiection for the throat. Gorgets were sometimes so large they also offered some protection in location 10 Great Helm 3-5 Heavy metal helm that enclosed the whole head and rested on the shoulders. Heavy and hot!

Greave Armour for the lower leg Harness A suit of plate armour, or sometimes the components of a suit of armour (for example, leg harness, etc) Hauberk 8-12, or from 3-15 Body armour, sometimes of splint, but normally mail. Usually covered torso and upper arms - could have a coif,full sleeves with built-in "mittens" and fall below the knee. (Also known as Ausperg, Aspercote, Hauberg etc) Heaume 3-5 Heavy cylindrical metal helm that enclosed the whole head and rested on the shoulders. Heavy and hot! Hosen Jack Varies from 10-12 to 3-4, 7-14 Padded cloth body armour, worn underneath heavier armour to absorb impact. Heavier versions were often worn by less well equipped troops or in hot weather as comfortable light armour. Jamb Armour for the lower leg (in a full suit of plate) Kettle Hat 3-4 A large round metal "hat", which left plenty of ventilation, but also decreased protection. The broad rim did give some extra protection Lamellar varies Lamellar armour is made of small, overlapping plates laced together.

It could sometimes be combined with mail. The plates could be of metal, but were often of horn, which while not as tough, was much lighter. Mostly Lamellar was used for torso protection, but arm and leg protection of lamellar was not unknown. Nasal Helm 3-4 The classical "norman" helmet - a simple pointed metal helm, sitting on top of the head, with a nose guard. Pauldron Plackart 11-12 Essentially a metal stomacher. Worn during the transitional era to offer extra protection to the stomach Plastron 10-12 Large breast and backplate, covering the torso. Sometimes of cuir boulli, but often of metal (and then called Plastron de Fer) Poleyns Armour for the knee. Normally of metal, but sometimes of cuir boulli. Rerebrace Armour for the upper arm Sabatons 17-18 Articulated metal shoes.

Could have long pointy toes, or large, rounded ones - or anything in between Sallet Heavy helm that covered the head, but left the neck and chin bare for ventilation Schynbald Armour for the lower leg, normally of iron Spangelhelm 3-4 The classical "norman" helmet - a simple pointed metal helm, sitting on top of the head, usually with a nose guard. In some cases they included face protection in which case location 5 is covered. Sollerets Rerebrace definition by Babylon’s free dictionary Wikipedia Dictionaries English Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia A rerebrace (sometimes known as an upper cannon) is a piece of armour designed to protect the upper arms (above the elbow). Splint rerebraces were a feature of Byzantine armour in the Early Medieval period. The rerebrace seems to have re-emerged in England, in the early 14th century. As part of the full plate armour of the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance the rerebrace was a tubular piece of armour between the shoulder defences (pauldron) and the elbow protection (couter). See more at Wikipedia.org...

Japanese Samurai Armour Japanese Samurai Armour enlarge image A suit of armour to terrify the enemy This is one of 100 objects selected by young people to represent the huge range of fascinating world collections held in Yorkshire museums. They offer bite-size learning opportunities for the classroom. Other objects like this one are grouped under the theme of conflict . Who were the Samurai? The Samurai were warrior-nobles in Japanese society, with a strong honour code called bushido. The name 'Samurai' means 'ones who serve'. Before the 1550s the Samurai were fierce warriors attached to a daimyo or lord, whom they were loyal to and fought for. How did their role change? In the 16th Century, a politician and former Samurai Toyotomi Hideyoshi persuaded warring groups of Samurai to live peacefully. He convinced them to use diplomacy rather than fighting to achieve peace. After this point the samurai no longer had such an important role. They still existed and wore armour, but they were seen as spiritual guides rather than warriors. The bushido was now seen as a code for living a moral and spiritual life, and their armour became just a reminder of their historic role. What does this suit of armour tell us about Samurai?

This suit of Samurai armour dates from between 1840 and 1880. It is made up of several sections: The main body section is a do or cuirass. It is made from a series of plates or lamellae, little oblong-shaped pieces of steel linked by strips of leather and covered with layers of lacquer. The helmet has empty holders on either side which would have been used for a front crest or helm, and a hair pommel. A face mask has been decorated with ugly features to terrify the enemy. Extra protection is provided by a neck curtain of jointed metal, and shoulder guards made from small plates laced together with silk braid allowing for movement. Thigh guards and calf guards use a combination of chain mail and plates kept the lower body safe. Underneath his armour the Samurai would wear a one-piece baggy garment, a kimono on top of that and loose pants. Glossary: What dangers do we need to protect ourselves from in our daily lives? Some animals use protective armour similar to the samurai. Which ones can you name? What can we learn from the example of Hideyoshi? How does the samurai armour differ from European armour?

What sports do you know that have 'codes of honour'? What sports can you think of that need 'armour' to protect the players? Activity ideas: Creative writing: Look at the images of Samurai armour on this page and then explore the links below to find more images of Samurai artefacts. Write a description of how you think an opponent would have felt when he saw a samurai approach the battlefield. Design Samurai armour: The Samurai who wore this armour needed to use a sword while being protected from his opponent's sword. What sort of things would you have to consider if you were designing some Samurai armour? Create your own samurai armour with the help of the link at the bottom of the page. Rerebrace Interpretation Translation Rerebrace Rerebrace \Rere"brace`\ (r?r"br?s"), n. [F. arri?re-bras.] (Anc. Armor) Armor for the upper part of the arm. --Fairholt. [1913 Webster] The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Reredemain Look at other dictionaries: Rerebrace — A rerebrace (sometimes known as an upper cannon [cite book |coauthors=David Edge, John Miles Paddock |title=Arms Armor of the Medieval Knight |year=1993 |origyear=1988 |edition=Crescent Books reprint |publisher=Crescent Books |location=New York… … Wikipedia rerebrace — /rear brays /, n. Armor. a piece of plate armor for the upper arm; an upper cannon. Cf. vambrace (def. 1). See diag. under armor. [1300 50; ME, equiv. to rere ( < MF rere, riere behind, backward < L retro RETRO ) + BRACE] * * * … Universalium Rerebrace — plate armor for the upper arm. ♦ Plate defence for the upper arm. (Wise, Terence. Medieval Warfare, 250) … Medieval glossary rerebrace — rere·brace … English syllables rerebrace — rere•brace [[t]ˈrɪərˌbreɪs[/t]] n.

her a piece of plate armor for the upper arm • Etymology: 1300–50; ME &LT; AF, =rere (OF r(i) ere rear, hindmost &LT; L retrō; see retro ) +brasarm; see brace … From formal English to slang rerebrace — /ˈrɪəbreɪs/ (say rearbrays) noun a piece of armour for the upper arm; upper cannon. Compare vambrace. {Middle English, from Anglo French (compare brace) rerebras, from rere back + bras arm} … Australian English dictionary rerebrace — noun cannon that provides plate armor for the upper arm • Syn: ↑upper cannon • Hypernyms: ↑cannon • Part Holonyms: ↑body armor, ↑body armour, ↑suit of armor, ↑suit of armour, ↑ … Useful english dictionary Components of medieval armour — Following is a table that concisely identifies various pieces of medieval armour, mostly plate but some mail, arranged by the part of body that is protected and roughly by date. No attempt has been made to identify fastening components or various … Wikipedia Mail (armour) — Chainmail redirects here.

For other uses, see Chainmail (disambiguation). Maille redirects here. For one of several French villages, see Maillé (disambiguation). Maille redirects here. For the French mustard company, see Maille (company). Riveted … Wikipedia Codpiece — Henry VIII wearing a codpiece A codpiece (from Middle English: cod, meaning scrotum ) is a covering flap or pouch that attaches to the front of the crotch of men s trousers and usually accentuates the genital area. It was held closed by string… … Wikipedia 16+ What does body armor mean?

definition, meaning and pronunciation (Free English Language Dictionary) Hypernyms ("body armor" is a kind of...): armor ; armour (protective covering made of metal and used in combat) Meronyms (parts of "body armor"): armet (a medieval helmet with a visor and a neck guard) knee piece (armor plate that protects the knee) nosepiece (armor plate that protects the nose) palette ; pallette (one of the rounded armor plates at the armpits of a suit of armor) rerebrace ; upper cannon (cannon that provides plate armor for the upper arm) roundel (round piece of armor plate that protects the armpit) skirt of tasses (armor plate that protects the body below the waist) sabaton ; solleret (armor plate that protects the foot; consists of mail with a solid toe and heel) tasse ; tasset (one of two pieces of armor plate hanging from the fauld to protect the upper thighs) tuille (armor plate that protects the hip and thigh) lower cannon ; vambrace (cannon of plate armor protecting the forearm) helmet (armor plate that protects the head) greave ; jambeau (armor plate that protects legs below the knee) gorget

 (armor plate that protects the neck) basinet (a medieval steel helmet) brassard (armor plate that protects the arm) aegis ; breastplate ; egis (armor plate that protects the chest; the front part of a cuirass) cannon ((Middle Ages) a cylindrical piece of armor plate to protect the arm) casque ((15-16th century) any armor for the head; usually ornate without a visor) cubitiere (body armor that protects the elbow) cuisse (armor plate that protects the thigh) epauliere (armor plate that protects the shoulder) fauld (a piece of armor plate below the breastplate) gantlet ; gauntlet ; metal glove (a glove of armored leather; protects the hand) gusset ; voider (a piece of chain mail covering a place unprotected by armor plate) Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "body armor"): bulletproof vest (a vest capable of resisting the impact of a bullet) Medieval Armor Medieval Chronicles > Medieval Armour & Shields Medieval Armour & Shields During the Medieval period between the 5th and 15th century army units would wear different types of Medieval Armor depending on their role, but mostly the armor consisted of

 Mail or Chain mail and much later Full plate.

Interlocking iron rings which would have been welded shut made up parts of the early stage medieval armor. Gradually small plates or discs of iron were added into the armor design in order to protect vulnerable areas of the soldier wearing it. Medieval Armour continued to advance and became more and more sophisticated which led to the introduction of hardened leather which was either welded together or sewn with strong iron pieces. Armour upgrades reached full plate near the end of the medieval period as techniques improved armor smiths started using a lot of different materials to make the armor in order to make it impenetrable but much lighter, materials such as bones and hard leather were used increasingly during this period. 7 Medieval Armor after the Medieval ages The earliest forms of medieval armour were fairly basic, had less parts and the simplest of components made up the whole of the amour, however this gradually changed as new methods of making armour were introduced and Armour was upgraded and improved as the medieval period progressed. Armour was designed that had more parts and components, this gave knights and soldiers more flexibility which resulted in more energy as the weight of the armour was also reduced as new metals that were being developed. Medieval armour offered much better protection from different types of attack as more parts of the body were protected.

Mail and Chain-Mail Armour During the start of the medieval period soldiers usually did not have much head protection and usually only wore a Mail Coif and a Hauberk. The Coif and the Hauberk were mail, meaning they were made from interlocking loops of metal woven into a fabric. During these early medieval times this was the only real protection soldiers had and medieval amour offered less protection to them than at later stages in the medieval period. Medieval Armor in the Early Medieval Ages Before proper Armour smiths appeared, Armour consisted of various types of cloth and leather being put together and usually offered little to no protection. That is why Blacksmiths developed new and improved ways of making armor as new technologies emerged such as iron smelting allowed Blacksmiths to make more flexible armor designs as the metals could be forged into new complete shapes which led to the first forms of Medieval Splint Armour appearing. This particular type of medieval armor had a major function to protect the limbs of its wearer and consisted of strips of metal which were attached to a fabric or leather backing or covering. These strips were arranged longitudinally and were pierced in order to be easily sewn on to the material.

The splint armor was usually made into greaves and vambraces and rarely appeared as a full set of armor. The Splint armor was used throughout the Medieval Ages until the transitional armor period where it was later used for cuisses (thighs) and the rerebrace (upper arms) armor. The most practical form of medieval armor used in the early medieval ages was the mail and chain-mail armor. The mail armor consisted of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. When mail Armour first appeared it was expensive to make and very time consuming and usually after a battle the dead soldiers had their bodies looted only for their mail armor. The flexible and expensive mail armor was used throughout most of the medieval times and still finds uses today in the 21st century. Medieval Armor from the 14th Century At around the 14th century mail became ineffective against more advanced weapons of those times and plate was developed, but mail could still be seen on some lighter soldiers and on the cavalry horses. In the later stages of medieval times, experiments were made with different types of Armour and it became more complexed.

Full upgraded mail Armour started making an appearance and in particular chest armor, favoured by archers, called the Brigandine was added into the armory of almost all soldiers. In the very late stages of the Medieval times armor became very complexed and it was designed to protect every part of the body. Items that were introduced and made the most impact were Full plate and Iron helmets in different shapes and sizes, a Brigandine was introduced to add leather armor before the iron and plate was put on it. Different Types of Medieval Armor A Gorget – would protect the neck; Cuirass for protection to the breast area, a Plackart was designed to add more armor to the front, Faulds which protected the waist and hips and a Cowter to protect the elbows were introduced. Spaulders – and then later Pauldrons were made to protect the shoulders and everything around that area, Vambraces were used to protect the arms, Gauntlets which were used to protect the hands of the wearer.

Poleyn – were used to protect the knees and were later attached to the Chausses and Tasset which protected the upper leg area whilst Greaves covered the lower area of the leg and Cuisse was used to protect the sides of the leg, Sabaton was the part where armour covered the foot. The parts which did not have plate protecting them were usually covered by mail called Gousset and an additional padded cloth called Doublet or Double doublet was worn under a harness. Full Plate Medieval Armor During the 14th century new forms of weapons were being developed, like the high powered crossbow which was able to penetrate early chain-mail Armour and inflict damage upon multiple enemies and that is why the Armour smiths had a difficult job to create a better type of armor, so the period of Armour transition began when the first plates of armor were created. Medieval Armour had come a long way to its almost perfect form of plated mail which was sometimes also called plated chain-mail, splinted mail or even splinted chain-mail. This form of armor consisted of mail armor which was embedded with plates. The plates of Armour have different variations depending on the country they are used in and usually bear the mark of the country which the soldiers fought for.

It is believed that the first forms of plate armor were developed in the Middle East which were then adopted by other countries in the medieval world. The first plates were used for body protection and composed of relatively large plates worn along with laminar pauldrons (a skirt which was made of very long horizontal plates and re enforced by a large round mirror plate). The later forms were created by plates of iron and steel and encased the wearer completely. Medieval Armor after the Medieval ages The full plate suit of armor started to decline as weapons advanced and inventions such as rifles and gunpowder started to be invented. Medieval Armour became used only for decorative purposes for jousting and sometimes fashion for Kings. In modern times bulletproof vests serve as a distant reminder of the types of Armour used during medieval times. Share this:

Question: In a suit of armour which part of the body was protected by the rerebrace?
Answer: (The upper) Arm